it's those eyes
by Something Warm
Summary: Manga-based / In which Natsume is a bit more uncontrolled, dangerous, and blood-thirsty than in the manga. Unfortunately Mikan has to suffer the consequences — starting from chapter two. AU


**NOTE1**: Chapter 2, after Misaki (senpai) leaves.

**NOTE2**: Merely for entertainment, no profits.

**NOTE3**: Unbeta'd because it's 1:51 AM on 12.31.13 — you'll have to forgive me.

* * *

_it's those eyes_

1: meeting him & his flames

...

Mikan's staring at the sleeping boy in front of her, still shocked by the previous events. Somehow, she — a ten year old girl — managed to sneak out of the house, travel to the city and successfully find her bestfriend, all on her own.

Granted, she almost got kidnapped by two strangers hoping to sell her "alice" and then afterwards, Mikan almost got her face burnt off by this scary looking boy — but other than that, her trip was pretty decent.

She's so close to Hotaru; she can just feel it! She longed to cling onto her stoic bestfriend, long to hear her not-so-affectionate nicknames, long to hear her quiet, controlled voice — heck, she even missed that stupid "baka-gun"!

"Hotaru..." Mikan mumbles to no one particular, letting her thoughts create fantasies of reuniting with her friend as she stares absentmindedly at the boy's face.

She couldn't help but think how cute and peaceful he looked, though Mikan realized she couln't exactly think that seeing as she didn't get a clear look of him earlier outside, when his face was either blocked by that masked or Narumi.

Mikan shivered at the thought of the mask. Obviously she didn't know a lot about alices, but to think there was actually an alice so powerful, it needed a mask to bound it to prevent any harm — that was frightening, in Mikan's view. In the back of her mind, Mikan knew she was supposed to be afraid of this boy, who she sat less than five feet away, but for some reason — she couldn't tear her eyes away.

'Still...he just looks so darn peaceful right now,' She thought privately, even if he clenched his teeth every few moments, as if suffering from a nightmare, and it made her want to smooth the barely-there creases formed on his forehead.

Without thinking — because that's what she usually does — Mikan reaches out and squeezes the tip of his nose, hands pulled back immediately, afraid that he might spring up and attack her with his fire — she's supposed to be scared of the black cat, right?

It's three seconds later when she confirms that she can relax because he's still sleeping, thank Kami-sama.

Her mind then opts to another thought — what's Hotaru's alice? Well, of course, it's going to be something cool — because it's _Hotaru_ — but just what is it?

Is she a scientist who creates bombs with her mind? Can she control the ground? Can she memorize everything? Can she build things on the spot?

With her thoughts, once again occupied by her best friend, Mikan failed to notice the slowly awakening boy next to her, only realizing his conscious presence when she feels a pull on her right pigtail.

She gives a loud yelp and then Mikan finds herself back-flat on the long couch.

The couch is still a little warm from the boy's body, and with the summer's heat crowding the wide room, Mikan feels herself flush at the contact. Her eyes are wide and surprised at the fast impact and it feels like her head's spinning, because the boy's eyes — red, like the color of spilled blood — are burning holes into hers. Too overwhelmed, Mikan shifts her eyes away from his gaze.

"Who are you?" His voice is rough, like his nap only succeeded in making him uncomfortable and tired, reminding her of sandpaper — the ones Grandpa uses to fix up their wooden house.

She must've taken too long or something, cause he pulls her hair even harder, making her head rise up from the couch.

"Answer me," he hisses, crouching down close to her face. She can't move her body; it's trapped under his and he's straddling her like he's some metal chains. Her head is throbbing, her eyes shut, voice yelling in pain, body immobile. "Answer me, or I'll burn this place down."

She snaps her eyes open at this comment — this guy's crazy and there's no way she'll reveal herself to him now. "Get off of me, jerk!"

As if activated by her voice, flames appear by the curtains, just a few yards from the couch. And then, like magic, it spreads all over the curtains and then to the walls, blocking the both the enterance door and the window.

She weeps in fear, instictively pushing her body closer to the dangerous boy, for she's always seeked the comfort of others when in fear. "Stop it, stop it, _stop it!_"

"You won't tell me who you are." He replies calmly, and instead grabs her other pigtail, pulling her face close to his. The room is burning, oxygen is leaving, the building is slowly collapsing under the fuels but there is only one thought circulating her mind — why hasn't he burned her yet?

Her throat itches and it causes her to enter a major coughing fit, eyes burning with potential tears from the fumes. Everything is burning and she feels like she's about to collapse, yet the boy continues to hold her down, body seemingly calm and unresponsive to the flames.

She glances around the room and panic finally sweeps in. The room is on fire, there is no oxygen, the flames are almost reaching the counch, she is going to die, and the boy on top of her is fucking crazy. She lets out a loud scream — _finally_, her mind is registering the fact that she is going to die — in hopes of alerting the teachers. "You're going to kill us, you- you crazy idiot! You jerk, if I die before seeing H-Hotaru — I'm going to haunt you for-forever! _Get off me!_"

She's a coughing mess by now and the smoke is making her eyes water. "G-Get o-off!"

"Who are you?" She's about to lose conscious.

"S-Sak-Sakura M-Mikan." She says before collapsing, finally giving in.

...


End file.
